Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	3,965	5	8.0680	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05335	Of the interchangeable course, or variety of things in the whole world and the concurrence of armes and learning, thorough the first and famousest nations: from the beginning of ciuility, and memory of man, to this present. Moreouer, whether it be true or no, that there can be nothing sayd, which hath not bin said heretofore: and that we ought by our owne inuentions to augment the doctrine of the auncients; not contenting our selues with translations, expositions, corrections, and abridgments of their writings. Written in French by Loys le Roy called Regius: and translated into English by R.A.; De la vicissitude ou variete des choses en l'univers. English	Leroy, Louis, d. 1577.; Ashley, Robert, 1565-1641.	1594 (1594)	STC 15488; ESTC S113483	275,844	270

wherin the later haue not agreed with the former namely in those which are not yet sought out and will neuer be found if we content our selues with that which is alreadie inuented without adding any thing therunto By occasion whereof I will aunswere them henceforward which obiect that there are too many bookes Certainly if all that hath bin written by the auncient Philosophers Historiographers Oratours Poets Physitians Diuines and Lawiers had come to our hands all had bin full of bookes and we should haue had no other moueables in our house but bookes we should be constrained to go sit and lie vpon bookes And yet there remaine so many and are made from day to day that the age of man could not suffice to read not onely the writings in many disciplines but in one particuler and seldome are the Inuentories found perfect The great number serueth rather for charge then for instruction and it is much better to read some few that be good then to wander thorough many which are euill Lucian blameth an ignorant person which boasted that he had many bookes and Martial mocketh an other who thought thereby to be accounted learned Seauen hundred Volumes were found in the Librarie of Alexandria which were all burned together by a mischance of fire The learned caried their books thither from all parts as to the Theater of learning and they read them in the Museum which was there at the plaies ordained for the honour of Apollo and of the Muses the vanquishers receiuing great gifts in the sight and knowledge of all the world In somuch that none were reckoned learned which had not won some prize there Liuie calleth that great Librarie a worthy work of kingly care and magnificence But Seneca saith that it was neither care nor magnificēce but a studious pompe or superfluity yet not studious because the K s. Ptolomeyes had not erected it to serue for study but for a shew and spectacle As we see many priuate men also which haue gathered many togither wel printed boūd gilded to serue onely for ornaments which they neuer looke in themselues nor suffer others for feare of fouling them Also king ATTALVS assembled at Pergamus in emulation of the Ptolomeyes two hundred thousand volumes which were giuen by Antonius to Cleopatra so vanished There were in the Library of the GORDIANS xl thousand and a great number of exquisite ones in that of LVCVLLVS and AVGVSTVS There are some at this present very wel furnished both amongst the Christians and the Mahometists But going by the professions I haue read that DIDYMVS a Grammarian composed foure thousand books APPIAN sixe thousand who was so arrogant as to say that he made them immortall to whom hee dedicated his workes CICERO said that if his age were doubled yet would it not suffice to read all the Lyrick Poets Seneca thinketh as much of those that haue written of Logick There is no people nation citie common-wealth seigniorie coūtrey kingdom or empire but hath his Cronicles and Histories In Greece one only war of Marathon found three hundred Historiographers Plutarch in his liues alleageth more then two hundred of them SALVST and LIVIE are come to vs vnperfect and faulty as are also many others of lesse reckoning both Greekes and Romaines It is not possible to recken the books that are made of Phisicke which hath many times bin changed and diuided into diuers sects ARISTOTLE the Philosopher composed iiij hundred volumes and VARRO the most learned amongst the Romains as many The Emperour IVSTINIAN by the excessiue multitude of books which were of the ciuil Law was constrained to cause the Pandects to be made on which contrary to his edict haue bin heaped innumerable cōmentaries S. Iohn the euangelist saith that the world is not able to receiue all the books which should bee written of IESVS CHRIST as appeared in the time following wherein were infinite written in many languages concerning the Christian religion and the exposition of the old and new Testament ORIGEN alone hath written sixe thousand bookes The Gothes Vandales Alanes Hunnes Lombards Sarazens Turkes and Tartarians brought an inestimable losse to the libraries and corruption to the languages Bookes are different also according to the disposition of the times and inclination of the countries wherein they are made euen as wines are diuers according to the territorie qualitie of the aire and disposition of the yere the nature of the vine industry of the keeper Euery age hath his peculiar kind of speech Euery nation and age his phrase the Greekes and Latins writing after one sort the Hebrewes Chaldees and Arabians after an other All are not of continuance and as many are lightly and easily made so they are estsoones and incontinently lost Some are left off for the obscurity and to affected subtilty and barbarousnes which is in them Others despised or neglected as vnprofitable or consumed by length of time or destroied by warres changes of tonges and of religions or by being euil written and copied out or corrupted depraued In others there is nothing but tedious repetitions by changing the order and the words Plinie a man of great reading saith that in conferring and comparing of authours he hath found the old written out word for word by those that were next after them concealing their names and choosing rather to be taken in their theft then to acknowledge the debt Those which are respected here as holy are burned elswhere as abhomination The affected to some certaine sect religion or profession are red onely by people of the same sect religion and profession The poemes orations epistles chronicles histories comedies and tragedies are not loked on but by such as vnderstand the tongue wherin they are written out of it they commonly lose their grace There are not any which please and satisfy al people or which are receiued in al places except they be aduisedly made with great iudgment profound learning by a singular grace of God and a rare goodnes of nature resisting against enuious old age warranting themselues from the silence of obliuion Such as seeme to be those of Plato Aristotle Hippocrates Ptolomey who not content with the images of things and shadows of opiniōs haue sought the truth directly haue therfore escaped the iniury of time of fire of water of wars among so many nations contrary sects translated into diuers languages yet keeping stil the same grace as when they were newly made For as time abolisheth the opinions that are not wel groūded so it also cōfirmeth the infallible iudgemēts of a wise vnderstanding nature augmēting alwaies the reputatiō of those writers which haue best obserued vnderstood it The iudgment of time discouereth in the end the secret faults of al things who being the father of truth and a iudge void of passion hath alwaies accustomed to giue a iust sentēce of the life or death of writings But seeing that the arts

giuing to some force without lightnesse to others lightnesse without force he armed some and for those which were without armes he inuented other succour Those which he had inclosed in a little body he lifted them vp into the aire with feathers or commaunded them to craule on the earth He fortifyed such as were growen into a great Masse with their Masse it selfe And likewise he proceeded with the rest giuing to euery one his vertues After he had so furnished them to th end they should not distroy one another he gaue them meanes to defend them th one from the other and to remaine abroad without couert Clothing some of them with thicke heare little houses or shells and skales of diuers sorts with feathers or hard skinnes against the vntemperatenes of Winter Sommer and of the same things made them beds and natural couches ioining to their feet clawes nailes and callosites to their heads hornes teeth and tronks then distributed to them food making some to eate grasse on the earth others to feed on fruits roots of trees others more greedy to deuoure one another Prouided that they which liued on pray should be in some sort barren and the others that were subiect to be deuoured more fruitful to th end that the kind should continue For the diuine prouidence hath bin wise therin making al fearful beasts and such as are good to ●eed on very fruitful lest by being often eaten there should faile of the kind euen as hurtfull and harmeful beasts are of small increase Therefore the hare is very fruitfull and alone of al kind of venison surchargeth the burden in his belly because that men beasts and birds do prosecute him to death Likewise the Cony is sound so ful of rabets that some of them are yet without heare others somewhat riper and others going out of the belly But the Lyonesse which is the strongest and hardiest of all beastes neuer bringeth but one and but once in her life But Epimetheus being not very wise he gaue all to the brute beastes reseruing nothing for man whom he left alone without force without power without propertie starke naked without armour without clothing vnhosed and vnshood without conuenient food and wanting all things In such sort that he could not resist other creatures being then more excellent then himselfe For the staggs ran swifter the beares and Lions were stronger the Peacock was fairer the fox was craftier the Emmet more diligent and the snayle better lodged then he Euery beast found a medicine fit for his malady and hurt whereof man was ignorant Of this came such a confusion that men perished by little and little thorough diuers sorts of cruelt●e In such sort that their kind had soone bin consumed without the aduise of prudent Prometheus who seeing so great a fault to redresse it stole from Vulcan and Minerua the artificial wisedom togither with the fire being not possible to obtaine it or to vse it without fire and so did distribute it to mankinde by meanes whereof men began for their common commoditie to assemble togither for feare of the be astes and to th end to resist them helping one another and seeking here and there after safe places for their habitation they learned to make houses and garments to auoid the sharpnes of cold and the force of heate to reserue fruits for their necessitie to prepare armes for their defence and to finde out other commodities for their life Which finally necessity it selfe being inuentour of all things maketh knowen particularly to the vnderstanding of men vnto whom were giuen for helpes their hands speach and reason Reason to inuent speach to cōmunicate the hands to accomplish that which they should either inuent themselues by reason or learne of others by speach for no other creature doth speak in deed for as much as speach proceedeth of reason nor hath hands though peraduenture somewhat like vnto handes Wherefore man hath first found out by reason the most necessary thinges as food clothing and armes and afterward such as serue for pleasure ornament and magnificence he hath imposed names on euery thing inuented letters of diuers sorts and sundry kinds of writing made all arts both mechanical and liberall proceeding so farr as to measure the earth and the sea to reduce by instruments the mighty masse of heauen scarse to be comprehended by vnderstanding and to propose it before our eyes Moreouer the same Plato affirmeth that before men liued in company and spake togither or that they had begun to inuent and exercise arts for as much as they alone of al other creatures did participate of the diuine nature being indewed with an immortall soule that they by reason of this diuine affinitie did thinke first that there were Gods and so honoured them and prayed to them from thence had religion her beginning publicke gouernment iudgement negotiation and traficke by Sea and by land lawes were established magistrates created innumerable trades inuented houses villages and townes builded consequently cities castles and fortresses and then kingdoms and Empires erected Wherehence hath succeeded the greatnes and excellency of mankind such as we see it at this day From thence I say began religion which is more natural to men then all their other arts and inuentions no nation in the world hauing bin found so rude so cruel barbarous but that it had some appearance of religion For howbeit that the greater part is ignorant what God how they ought to worship him yet al notwithstanding do agree that we ought to honour pray and feare one God the authour of all things which is confirmed not only in the first and most auncient nations as the Ethiopians Indians Armenians Chaldees Hebrewes Assyrians Egyptians Greekes Romains and Gaules but also in the Goths Vandales Sarazens Tartarians Turkes Persians Cathayans or Chinoys And not onely in our hemisphere but also amongst the Antipodes and Sauages of the new found lands of whom heretofore we neuer had any knowledge They which haue nauigated thither haue found many people liuing yet as the first men without letters without Lawes without Kings without common wealthes without arts but yet not without religion who beleeue that the soules of the dead go into other places according to such workes as they haue done in this life To intertaine it haue bin appointed cerimonies praiers ordained temples edifyed oratories chapels hospitals almeshouses cloisters and couents Sacrificers or priests haue bin instituted and much respected in all Countries And if it pleased God that hee woulde be worshipped thoroughout all the world in one selfe same maner men shoulde be deliuered of great hatred and cruel discorde happening amongst them thorough the diuersitie of Religions AT THE beginning men were very simple and rude in all thinges little differing from beastes They did eate in the fieldes and mountaines the rawe fleshe of beastes or herbes with their rootes stalkes and leaues which the earth brought foorth of his owne accorde and in

had the principall charge vnder him who put him in a golden cage and cast him on a chariot meaning to carry him to Bactria then seeing that Alexander approached caused him to bee killed with darts and Iauelins and left him dead in the midst of the way Such was the end of a king so mighty in people in possessions and reuenews who called him selfe Lord of all the world from the East vnto the West hauing raigned onely sixe yeres in all delicacies exceeding the common magnificence of Princes Which luxurious maner of liuing was cause of his vtter ouerthrow as humane things being variable haue their fatall inclination so ordained by the diuine prouidence to fall then when they are mounted highest and that the Lords thinke themselues to be most assured sleeping therefore in carelesnes and ouerweening conceits For he suffered himselfe to slide so farre into deliciousnes and superfluous riches that he slept alwaies in a chamber betweene two great chambers most richly furnished in such sort that the Kings bed being sumptuously spred in his chamber and couered with a vine of gold in manner of a grate or lettis enriched with precious stones gathered togither in manner of hanging clusters of grapes the beds head was placed towards the wal of one of the great chambers in which ther was fiue thousand talents of gold and this great roome was called the kings beds head whereunto right opposite was the wall of the other great chamber against his beds foote in the which there was alwaies three thousand talents of siluer and was called the kings beds foote which summes are esteemed after our maner to be worth thirty millions of Crownes Going to war he caried with him in his host for his pastime and delight cccxxxix women as Concubines singers dauncers and such as were skilfull in all kinde of Musicke xlvj workmen to set flowers in order and to make garlands nosegaies chapelets and other sweete smelling things cclxxvij cookes xxix potters making euery day vessels of earth to serue the kitchin xiij bakers of tarts and such other licorous and delicate bakemeates Cellerers cupbearers bruers and minglers of wines makers of spiced cupps and of all artificiall lycours and drinkes xvij of th one sort and lxx of the other Perfumers and makers of sweete smelling sauours and odours both wet and dry xl If then the king of Persia vsed so much delicacy being in warr and nourished himself with so many delights in the field what did he whē he remained in peace at Persepoli or in Babylon a city abounding in all superfluities and in all vices that proceed of great plenty Yet notwithstanding in the flower of his fortune he being dronken with prosperity and aboundance of goods was spoyled of his riches which had bin heaped togither by many kings his predecessours losing his life and his kingdome which was clymed to the top of the worldy power and felicity where ariseth the spring of pride arrogancy ouerweening and extreme insolency And there is the slippery path whereon standeth the enuy of fortune and where soueraigne felicity falleth headlong into great calamity By this so magnificent victory ouer him ALEXANDER brought vnder his obedience almost al the countries of the East and transported the Monarchy out of Asia into Europe So the Macedonians tooke away the Empire of the East from the Persians and the Parthians from the Macedonians by the conduct of Arsaces a Captaine of an vncertaine birth but of a most approued vertue and no lesse memorable amongst them then Cyrus among the Persians and Alexander among the Macedonians by whose name they called the succeeding Kings because of the reuerence which they bare vnto him They became so mighty that for a time they ruled ouer all Asia possessing not onely the vnmeasurable plaines but also the abrupt dounfals of the mountaines and placing the bounds of their Empire where either the heate or the cold staied them with snowes or immoderate and burning heates They possessed eighteene kingdomes deuiding in this maner their prouinces as hauing respect to the two Seas that is the red Sea towards the South and the Caspian toward the North where of eleuen which were called the superiour or higher began at the confines of Armenia and at the bankes of the Caspian Sea extending euen to the Scythians Thother seauen were termed the inferiour or lower They seemed to diuide the world with the Romaines th one ruling in the East and thother the West Their dominion from ARSACES to ARTABANVS endured cccc yeres which was brought backe againe into Persia by ARTAXERXES and after cccxviij yeres was taken againe from the Persians by the Arabians or Sarazens Amongest whom the CALIPHES residing at Bagdet raigned in the East ccccxviij yeres after them the first TVRKS from the yere of Christ M.L.I. vntill M.cc.xj when the Tartarians came out of their countrey who in a little time seised on the greatest part of the north the East the south of whō came the inuincible TAMBERLAN who made the whol habitable earth afraid And since they being retired the Persians who are reputed the ciu●lest people of the East being ingenious valiant and there are amongst them excellēt Philosophers Physitions Astrologers very good Artisans in all misteries occupations Their king is called SOPHI which is as much to say as wise and the Interpreter of God because that ISMAEL the first that was so named vnder the colour of expositions new ceremonies brought in by him into the religion of Mahomet got no longe time since a great Empire in the East hauing driuen away the race of Vsun-Cassanus king of Persia to whom he was allied by his mothers side and made many Princes and Lords of the East his vassals or tributaries The chiefe prouinces vnder his obedience were Armenia the great Persia Media Assyria with iiij capital or head Cities Tauris in Armenia Samach in Persia Scyras in Media Bagdet which was somtimes Babylon in Assyria There are gentlemen amongst them after the maner of Italy France Spaine which vse barded horses in the wars vnto which they go welarmed bearing great lances and good cymeters being also very good archers The Sophi is opposite on the one side to the Ottoman to the Zagathain on thother Thus haue the kingdoms of Asia of the East varied But before we go out of this quarter we must speak of the MAGES which were far different from other natiōs in their religion wisdom They had no temples Images nor altars neither was it permitted by their law to make any esteeming them fools which had them accounting it impiety to inclose the Gods within wals which ought to haue al open free whose temple and house was the whol world For this cause they perswaded Xerxes warring in Greece to burne al the Temples which he should find there And when they would sacrifice they went vp into high mountaines where it was not lawful for him that

world and haue maliciously inuented many lies of his pretended excellencie heretofore rehearsed to th end to make him more admirable and to draw the more people to his beleefe THE POWER OF THE ARABIANS or Saracens compared to the Romain Macedonian Persian Parthian Assyrtan and Egiptian PLinie speaking of the Arabians saith that they were not inferiour to any people of the world They receiuing the law of Mahomet who was of their nation were called Saracens who in little time after they had receiued this Religion atchieued great conquests subdued many Regions tooke and ruinated Townes wasted countries ouerthrew kingdoms and namely the Romain Empire in the East But as they increased sodainly in dominions so they entred into partialities and diuided themselues vnder two Caliphes whereof the one was established at Bagdet in Assyria commaunding ouer all the East thother in Egipt who conquered all the rest of Barbarie with Spaine Being come to such and so great power albeit they were all of one religion or little different because they called one another Schismaticks yet had they not one Empire aunswering to one soueraigne Monarch and resident in the capitall Citie of the state as had the Assyrians Persians Parthians and Romains but being diuided into many Lords and euil agreeing they fought the one against thother which was the cause that made them diminish as soone as they were growen vp For the first Turks comming out of the North East parts of Asia on the differents of the two Caliphes they took Persia from them and possessed the Caliphat of Bagdet with the better part of the lesser Asia becomming Mahometists But the Latin Christians vnder Godfrey of Bouillon and the Corasmians ouercame these Turks then the Latins Corasmians being ouercome the Tartarians issued from the same quarter wherehence the Turks came before who in an instant ouerran a great part of the North of the East and of the South then drawing toward the West they ouercame the Ruthenians Lithuanians Polaques and pierced euen into Hungary Austrich and Germanie which if they had bin or were vnited would make an incomparable power But they are diuided by hordes of the Procopians Zauoglans Nogacians and Corasmians the one being gouerned by kings and the other by common weales A COMPARISON OF THE ARABIAN or Sarasen Learning with the Greeke Egiptian Chaldaick Persian and Romain or Latin AS the learning of the Greekes and Romaines augmented with their power so did that of the Arabians or Saracens And when they were the most mightie of the world then they became most learned especially in the demonstratiue sciences Amongst whom Auicenna Albumasar Gebber and Auerrois got the first praise Auicen hath bin the most vniuersall of them all being eminent in philosophie in the Mathematics in their Theologie in the Arabian poesie who writing also in Physick hath verie well handled according to the iudgement of the most learned in this art the signes and causes of diseases accomodating vnto them many remedies not vnderstood nor practised by the Greeks and Italians Auerrois hath learnedly expounded all Aristotle Abumasar vnderstood perfectly al the celestial motions and their effects hauing inuented the great coniunctions and many other goodly things which remained vnknowen vntill his time Gebber a verie expert Mathematician hath found faults in the demonstrations of Prolomey his Almagests And others in diuers sciences haue inuented many new things or reformed those that were inuented before both Persians Syrians Egiptians Africans and Spaniards writing in Arabian which possessed the schooles of the West before the restitution of the Greek and Latin Which I thought good to speak of by the way that it might be knowen that all learning is not comprised in these two languages that the Arabian ought not to be dispised which comprehendeth a good part They got such reputation in the Mathematicks that Alphonsus king of Castile going about to make his Astronomical tables had his principal recourse to them because that only they at that season could teach and restore such sciences to whom he made great presents to the value of fower hundred thousand Crownes Imitating therein the liberalitie of Alexander who disbursed the like summe to haue the natures of liuing creatures truely represented by Aristotle But the Caliphes seeing that the people too much giuen to Philosophie to the Mathematicks cared but little for their Law they founded Colleges for the intertainment of teachers and learners of their Alcoran and in some vniuersities they changed the Lectures of philosophie into those of their Law ordaining that whosoeuer from thence forward would studie the Alcoran should in no sort giue himselfe to Philosophie which hath made the exercises of the sciences to waxe cold in some places but not thorough out because that at this day there are found in Persia most learned Philosophers Astrologers A COMPARISON OF THE ARABIAN tongue with the Greek Latin and Hebrew WHen the Greeks and Romains were in their greatest prosperitie and rulers ouer many Countries they spred these two tongues with their dominions much people learned to speak thē either to please them therwith or to negociate with them then the Christian religion seruing it self with them hath preserued dispersed thē into diuers coūtries yet were they neuer vnderstood in so many places as the Arabian is now the which is common to almost all the inhabitants of Asia Africk a third part of Europe the affairs of the Alcoran being treated therin which is followed by th one half of the world or more and all sciences Euen as we vse Latin in these parts separated from the vulgar tongues and not vnderstood but by such as haue learned it in schooles It resembleth the Hebrew Chaldaick and Syriack in this that it is written as they are from the right hand to the left with points in steed of vowels and hath many words common with them and the phrase somewhat neere them but peculiar letters to it selfe wherin it is much different from the Greek and Latin which are written from the left hand to the right The end of the eigth Booke THE SEQVELE OF THE RELIGION and power of the Mahometists as of the first Turkes Corasmians Tartarians of the Souldan of the Ottoman and of the Sophy Where there is mention made of the great Cham of Catay of the King of Narsingue of the Moscouite and of Presbiter Iohn as hauing all begun or growen vp about that time albeit they haue other Religions The ninth Booke ON the different which was between the Caliphes The TVRKS comming out of the Northeast of Scythia went into Asia about the hundreth yeare of the Algier of Mahomet and after they had a long time wandered they staied in Persia whither they came being called by the Persians against the Arabians and others of the new Religion which oppressed them But finding at their comming the kingdom of Persia vanquished aswell by armes as by religion and seeing it was not possible for them

vntill the thirteenth which raigneth at this present hauing one after an other from the father to the sonne gathered together two Empires aboue twentie kingdoms and a great number of Cities in Asia and Europe gotten aswell on the Mahometists as on the Christians without euer losing any thing that they had taken They hold all that was in old time called Arabia Egipt Suria Mesopotamia Chaldea part of Persia and of Media Assyria Adiabena part of the greater Armenia and all the lesser and a part of Cholches which they call Mengrelles All Asia the lesser containing Cilicia Cappadocia Pamphylia Galatia Caria and Phrygia And in Europe a part of the Sarmatians or Getes the Dacians Mysians Thracians Macedonians Greeks Albaneses Dalmatians Pannonians Hongarians Iaziges and Metanastes In Africk Argier Tripoli and Tunez This vnmeasurable power so renowmed and terrible at this day vnto all the world is growen vp from so small a beginning as hath bin said to such heigth and reputation in the space of two hundred and sixtie yeares by their wise conduct in peace and in warre by sobrietie patience obedience concord diligence order valiancie abundance of men horses and armes and by meanes of the good militarie and politick discipline which they carefully obserue which hath made them to prosper with the hinderance of their neighbours being loose and corrupted or infected with seditions Peraduenture they are not entirely such as they haue bin as all impaire with time and being inriched with their victories gotten on the Persians are become more pompous in their apparell and harnes then they were before as prosperitie and riches depraueth people But as they change their maner of liuing so their fortune also will change and whereas they now beat others they wil also be beaten as they haue begun to be not many yeares sithence at the battaile which they lost at Lepanto against the Venetians which is the greatest aduersitie that euer they receiued sithence they passed into Europe Likewise VSVN-CASSANVS was a souldier vnder Tamberlain who restored this new kingdome of Persia. He being aduertized that there was in his countrie a Lord called Harduel of the race of the Prophet and the bruit that ran among the Persians of his holines and learning especially in the law whereof he was a Doctour and in Astrologie wherein he meruailously excelled he gaue him his daughter to wife of which mariage came the SOPHI ISMAEL Harduel then being more assured and hartned by this royal alliance tooke vpon him with the aide of Techel Cusilbas to bring in new expositions and ceremonies into the Alcoran following Haly who was preferred by them before Mahomet Whereat IACOB the sonne and successour of Vsun-Cassanus being angry banished him and his sonne because he feared that by the fauour of his adherents vnder colour of reforming the Religion he aspired to the estate When the SOPHI who at the time of his banishment with his father was but a child was waxen great hereturned by force into Persia setting vp the Sect which was begun by his father and was afterward left off for feare And vnder this pretence he drew much people to his part and conquered in few yeares the Seignorie not only of Persia but also of Media Armenia and Assyria finding at his returne Aleuant and Morat-Champ the sonnes of Iacob and his cozins at warre together whereof th one he slew in battaile and constrained thother to flie into Arabia wherefore he remained peaceable possessour of of the state But because his vncle Iacob was deceased before he might be reuenged of him he burned his bodie Of which inhumaine deed being reprehended by his Mother he put her to death or killed her himselfe And notwithstanding was called SOPHI which is asmuch to say as holie hauing gotten not by any merite of his owne but by the goodnes of his father this name which hath remained to his heires being reputed heires by the Turkes This SOPHI by the sodain successe of his conquests put all the East in feare spreding his renowme ouer all the habitable earth To whom the Tartarian Zagathain opposed himselfe warring continually against him and Selim Ottoman who assailed him with a mightie armie a good waies within his owne kingdome tooke and spoiled Tauris his chiefe Citie and wan the memorable battaile of Chalderan where were slaine many both of the one side and thother and the two chiefes were hurt the Turkes remayning victorious only by reason of their artillerie which at that time was vnknowen to the Persians After Selim defeated in an other battaile the Souldan who would haue holpen the Sophi which were the two greatest victories that hapned within these fiue hundred yeares Sultan Soliman following the footsteps of his father returned thither and got on the Sophi Damasco in Assyria and the imperiall Citie of Bagdet being the auncient seat of the Caliphat of Chaldea ouerthrowen by the Tartarians as also that of Caire hath bin distroied by the Souldan For they which beare the name now in both Cities haue but the titles putting the SVLTANS in possession without medling at all with the state who doing thus receiue because of their pretended right three thousand Seraphes to the end to retaine after that maner some forme of the former religion The soueraintie whereof is not gouerned any more by them but by Muphtis as hath bin said who are as Patriarches and Superintendents in diuine matters and Iudges in cases of conscience whom the SVLTANS hold nere about their persons or in the principall Townes of their estates So by the ruine of the Latin kingdome in Hierusalem and of the Egyptian Caliphat the estate of the SOVLDAN began in Egypt and Suria instituted by Syrracon and Saladine which was hereditarie vntil Menescala who ordained the MAMMELVCS amōgst whom it hath long time bin electiue Neuer was there seen nor heard a more strange or detestable kind of gouernment then that of the MAMMELVCS being al Christians reheaged and of seruile condition which tyrannically commaunded ouer the Egyptians and Surians being free vsing miserable indignities and cruelties towardes them In so much that such power deserued rather to be called seruitude then Lordship The MAMMELVCS then were taken when they were little boyes from the countrey of the Circasses neere to the Temerinde or black sea then brought and sold as slaues into Egypt Where some selected of them were nourished and hardened vnto paine and trauaile by continuall exercise of armes And such as were found to bee the best were enrolled in the order of the Mammelucs and to them succeeded from hand to hand not the sonnes of the Mammelucs deceased but others nourished and chosen after the same maner to whom pertained the honours and profits of the state which they deuided among them not committing the gouernments of prouinces and conductes of armies but to those that were experienced whose vertue was knowen and who had passed all the military degrees and by them and from amōg them was the SOVLDAN chosen

with a little bread halfe baked and rice with the pouder of flesh that is dried in the sunne ●●eir drink is faire water being forbidden to drink wine in the Campe. Such a law had in ancient time the Carthaginians in war as Plato faith But the Turks besides this politicke discipline haue their religion also which maketh them the more fearefull to offend There was neuer elswhere the like obedience because there is not amongst them any company about x. men but hath his head the inferiours are alwaies obedient to their superiours Their s 〈…〉 in such a multitude is meruailous so many souldiers being kept in order by signes of the hand of the countenance without speaking any word In so much that oftentimes in the night they let their prisoners escape for feare of making noise There is none so hardy as to bring any woman into the army nor to vse the company of any They play not at dic● nor cards nor any other plaies of hazard for mony neither do they blaspheme God in any sort but name him at al times with great reuerence The two cases which they punish most greeuously are quarrels and thefts Marching thorough the countrey in the summer season they dare not for their liues to go amongst the come spoil it They despise death thinking that it is predestinate vnto euery man and the day of his death writtē in his forehead which it is not possible to auoid which maketh them more bold and aduentorous as also the punishment recompence which are present for them that do well or euil For whereas punishment and reward doe vphold al cōmon weals as Solon said honor reproch are the two wings of vertue presently amongst them after the fight is done he that hath acquited himselfe wel is rewarded by increasing of his pay and he that hath done euill hath his head cut off or els remaineth for euer dishonored They neuer lodge in the townes neither when they come neer them do they permit any to goe lye there for feare of iniuries and seditions obseruing military discipline very strictly to th end that while they are in cāpe they be not vsed vnto delicacies which in times past haue destroied mighty kingdoms and corrupted the most warlike Nations Moreouer to auoide ydlenes the Othoman Princes haue accustomed from two yeres to two yeres to make wars in some place to the end to exercise their men of war which otherwise being dispersed here and there in the prouinces would consume and come to be of little worth There is no nation with whom the Turkes haue had any different but they alwaies ouer came them besides the Tartarians Notwithstanding although the great Seignior aboundeth in men and in all things requisite for warres more then any other Monarch of our time yet for all that he aduentureth nothing rashly and obtaineth more victories by dexterity and taking opportunities then he doth by force He knoweth the maners of those with whō he hath to deale procureth thē other enimies to thend to distract to weakē their forces causing the situation of the countries to be set downe before him in a model which way he is to march wherto encāpe with his army to fight or to retire seldome going into any countrey but when it is deuided and that he hath fauour and intelligence with the one partie He accustometh when he goeth about any long or difficult iourney and where the coūtrey is vneasie to draw artillerie to cary it in pieces and then towards the bounds of the enemy or when he hath passed the euil way to cast and melt it When he conquereth by armes any new 〈…〉 trey he ouerthroweth by and by all the vnnecessary fortresses destroieth the cities and iourneth them into poore Hamlets extinguisheth wholly the great ones and the nobles suffering the common people to liue in that religion which they had before All his great power consisteth in his 〈◊〉 called commonly spachis and in his footemen which are called Ianisaries The Spachis haue as much pay in time of peace as in warre and are abou● the number of two hundred thousande comprehending as well the ordinary ones of the Court and house of the Prince as the subiects or Beglerbeis Moreouer there are threescore thousand aduenturours named Achangis to whom the Turkes and Tartarians do ioine when they are called But there is no strength among the Turkes more assured or more galant then that of the Ianisaries which can after the maner of the Macedonian Argyr●spides in old time being disposed into a phalange sustaine and breake all the assaults of the enemies and neuer were ouercome togither Amurath the second of that name first ordayned them and by their helpe wan the great battaile at Varne where Lancelot the king of Hongaria and Polonia was slaine His sonne Mahomet tooke Constantinople by assault and Baiazet Methon Selim vanquished the Sophi the two Souldans Soliman obtained many victories in Asia Africk Europe Their weapons are either ●ows or long harquebuses which the most part handle very wel shorter pikes then those with the Lansquenets and Switzers vse a Cymeter and a little battaile-axe They fight stou●ely both by sea and by lande They take the sonnes of all the Christians that are subiect to their Seignior which he commaundeth to be taken from three yeres to three or from foure to foure and maketh them to be brought vp very poorely and to lye on hard ground to th end to harden them to trauaile and accustome them to liue in the field All the Turkes goe with such courage order and alacrity to the warre especially when it is for defence of their religion that when they assemble to go thither one would thinke they were rather going to a mariage then to the campe Scarsely and with much a doo will they stay for the prefixed time of marching but doe commonly preuent it It dislyketh them much to remaine at rest without warr accounting themselues happy when they die not in their houses amidst the teares of their wiues but in fight amongest the Lances and arrowes of their enemies not lamenting for the losse of those which die in that maner but reputing them holy and praying for them in all their assemblies To preuent manslaughters which they haue in great detestation they carieno weapons in the Court nor in the Townes or in campe saue when they are to fight but lay them on camels or mules or keepe them within their tents They care not for the colde of Winter nor the heate of Sommer nor for any other incommodity of the aire or of the weather They feare not the roughnesse of places or length of the waies they content themselues with a little and doe not lode themselues with vnprofitable baggage making great iourneyes without fainting thorough their trauail They showe great staiednesse in their manners auoiding lightnesse in their deedes gestures apparell and speaches There is no curiositie vanitie o●